The Steward Demonic Emperor

prince’s experts could do nothing but lay there wounded.  

 

Watching their brothers breathe their last, the city guards’ mettle cracked and shuddered back.

 

“Damn those pestering shadows!” Second prince spat, “I knew them to only be scouts, but they’re actually so strong, even without the Shadow King around.

 

“Imperial father, is this your last ace?” Second prince muttered.

 

The emperor’s eyes flashed in disappointment.

 

[Son, know yourself and your enemy and you shall be ever victorious.
You are truly a lost cause to fight your father without even knowing my hidden aces.
Sigh, so many years have passed yet you never could fix this brash side of yours…]

 

Second prince clenched his fists in denial.
His mutiny might have less to do with reaching that fantastical throne and more to earn his father’s approval. 

 

Only to have neither.

 

“Second prince, the shadow guards will overrun us.
We need to fall back!” One Radiant Stage expert, with blood coming from his mouth, advised, “With the imperial capital in turmoil, despite our failure, we will make a comeback as long as Your Highness lives.”

 

[Comeback? From this?!]

 

This mutiny, here and now, was his best chance.
He took the city guards for himself and struck while the emperor lay defenseless.
This was as good as it was ever going to get. 

 

Failing now, he’d be hard pressed to get a chance even remotely as good as this one.

 

And yet…

 

He looked at the fallen Radiant Stage experts of his, at the city guards being toyed with by mere hundreds of shadow guards and the second prince closed his eyes in defeat, “I’ve truly lost…”

 

“Second prince!” Another expert urged.

 

Flashing his eyes open, he steeled his voice, “Fall back!”

 

Second prince and his experts in the lead quickly made their getaway.
Yet he turned his head at the emperor now and then as the city guards followed behind him.

 

The emperor’s eyes were struck with lamentation.

 

“After them!” One Radiant Stage guard shouted seeing them on the run.

 

The emperor sighed, waving, “Leave him be.”

 

The Radiant Stage guards froze, but nodded.

 

[Your Majesty is the lord supreme but still a father.
Second prince has revolted tonight yet His Majesty would let him go.] 

 

While the emperor didn’t pursue, some shrewder individuals weren’t about to let this prime chance go.

 

Second prince was pulling out of the Imperial Palace while fending off pursuers when a boom revealed torches lighting up just beyond the gates, shining across thousands upon thousands of faces. 

 

Second prince watched the sea of lights and spat, “Crown Prince, third brother, have you come to ambush me?” 

 

“Second brother, you had the gall to raise your arms against our emperor and are charged with heinous crimes.
Talk, how is the imperial father?” Crown Prince stepped forth, demanding.

 

Yuwen Cong was worried, “Second brother, how are the imperial father and Yongning? You couldn’t have been so cold as to harm them.”

 

“Humph, old third, when people speak of lowbrow, bug-eyed, fat-headed fool, they mean you.
I thought it would be obvious by now how they’re doing by looking at my beaten army!” 

 

Second prince mocked, “Ha-ha-ha, elder brother, you sure are considerate.
I’m sure you’ve been waiting for this chance for a long time.
With the sin of regicide on my head, you would have all the right to take me down and take the throne for yourself.
Humph, like a true oriole.
Now I see why the imperial father made you Crown Prince.
You really are resourceful.”

 

Crown Prince held him in a cold stare, “Second brother, you are jumping to conclusions.
I only have imperial father’s safety in mind.”

 

“Do you, now? Then you should be relieved to know that the imperial father is the picture of health, strong as a horse.
It’ll be a long time before you’ll take his mantle, decades even, ha-ha-ha… “

 

Second prince cackled, to which the Crown Prince displayed a bloodthirsty look.

 

[Second brother truly is a waste…]